Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1887 — Railway Indemnity Lands, [ARTICLE]

Railway Indemnity Lands,

Washington, July s.—Within a few days the local attorney of the Northern Pacific railroad procured from the general land office a certified copy of a letter dated Feb. 25, 1885, and written by the then acting commissioner, Harrison, instructing the land officers at Bozeman, Montana, that on the 27th of Mav, 1883, Secretary Teller decided that the Northern Pacific road was not compelled, in filing selections of indemnity lands, to show what lands were lost in place. This curious decision opened the door wide for the railroad company to select all tkeßdesirable land there was within the indemnity limits, whether there was in place to be made good oi ot, and after the adjustment of the granted lands the railroad company would have pretty much the whole tract of the indemnity lands, which in the meanwhile had been closed to settlement, from Which to select the amount of land, if any, tiiat losses in place might entitle the company to. It w s under such a construction of the law that the company was able to select in Dakota five times «s much indemnity lands as the company lost with;) the granted limits. The purpo eof getting the certified copy of the Harrison letter was doubtless t> use it as evidence in litigation with some settler. It is worth ... hiie, therefore, for all settlers and a good many other people to know that on Aug. 4,1885, Commissioner Sparks under the authority of Secretary Lamar,